Funerals in West Norfolk
Funerals in the West Norfolk Priory Group express the Christian hope of the Resurrection and Christ’s promise of eternal life. They are not primarily a celebration of the deceased’s life, which may occur later in a Memorial Service, but a rite of passage to commend the deceased to God in His mercy and commit the body or cremated remains to the earth.
Funerals In West Norfolk are dignified occasions and are combined with a following Cremation at the Crematorium or Burial in the churchyard. If you would like a funeral or a service for the internment of ashes in one of our churches, we ask that you contact us with as much notice as possible. Our churches are used for worship during the week and at weekends. Additionally, they are used by our local schools and for community activities. The best and quickest way to agree on dates for a service is to contact the Church Office first. Especially with funerals and memorial services, it is best to meet Funeral Directors AFTER you have agreed some dates with the church. As soon as possible, we will contact the next of kin to discuss the service and to offer support to the bereaved family.
About the Funeral Service
Funeral services conducted within the West Norfolk Priory Group must be in accordance to the rites of the Church of England. Each service will include readings from the Bible. Additional readings and poems may be appropriate but they must be brief, in line with the Christian faith and approved by the priest in advance.
Churches within the West Norfolk Priory Group only permit sacred music as played by the appointed church organist and must fulfil the requirement of the Church of England's Canon Law 'that only such chants, hymns, anthems, and other settings are chosen as are appropriate, both the words and the music, to the solemn act of worship and prayer in the church as well as the congregation assembled'. We regret that we cannot permit popular music.
Suggested Readings
-
Psalm 23
-
JOHN 14:1-3
-
ECCLESIASTES 3:1-4
-
REVELATION 21:1-7
Suggested Hymns
-
Abide with me
-
Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer.
-
Praise, My Soul, The King of Heaven.
-
Dear Lord and Father of Mankind.
-
Making Me a Channel of Your Peace.
-
Morning has broken
-
The Day Thou Gavest Lord Has Ended
-
How great Thou art
-
All things bright and beautiful
-
The Lord is my shepherd
Visiting Clergy
We will be happy to discuss involvement of other clergy in the service, but please note that it is the policy of the churches in the West Norfolk Priory Group that the local Vicar will always be the officiant.
What others say about us
“Special thanks to Kim and David at A J Coggles and Valerie Dagnall. And a very special thanks to the Revd David for the service” – Chris G.
“I just wanted to say a great big thank you to you all for the lovely graveside service today. We are so happy that she was able to be laid to rest beside Jim” – Brian E.
Spaces in the Churchyard and Reservation of Plot
A parishioner has a right to be buried in the churchyard of the parish in which he or she resides or where they are on the church electoral roll, provided that there is still room for burial. However, a parishioner does NOT have a right to be buried in a particular place, which is a matter for the Minister to decide at their sole discretion. Anyone wishing to be buried in a particular place in a churchyard can only acquire a right to be buried there by obtaining a Faculty to authorise the reservation of an exclusive right of burial in a particular grave.
There is a special form of Faculty Petition which should be used in connection with an application to reserve a gravespace. An applicant should complete Part A of the Faculty Petition and ask the Minister to complete Part B. In Part B, the grave to be reserved should be referred to by row and number on a churchyard plan. The completed form should then be sent to the Registrar, together with a resolution of the parochial church council in support.
A fee is payable on lodging the Petition, which is the normal Faculty fee, as specified under Fees. The fee will be requested on receipt of the Petition by the Registrar.
The Petition will be sent to the Chancellor of the Diocese, who will normally direct that Public Notices are published at the church, to give notice of the application to parishioners and an opportunity for objections. Such notices have to be published for 28 days. If no notices of objection are received by the Registrar, the Chancellor will normally direct the granting of a Faculty.
Where, for example, husband and wife desire to be buried together, they may either (a) make one application for the right for both to be buried in the same grave, in which case only one set of fees is payable, or (b) make separate applications for the reservation of two adjoining gravespaces, in which case the above fees are payable in respect of each separate application.
Funeral Fees
Some fees are mandatory and set by the Church of England. These are reviewed annually. Other fees are set by the West Norfolk Priory Group. If cost is an issue, please let the priest know and we will do our best to help.
Funerals – Church fees 2023
£100 – Organist
£60 – Verger (Ensuring HSE Covid-19 secure protocols are followed and risk assessment completed before service)
£70 – Heating (Normally required September to May or if requested June, July and August)
Contact Details
If you need to arrange a funeral and wish to talk to someone about it,
please contact our church office.